The Geeky List

So, I was talking with a coworker and I think we were talking about board games. Another coworker came up to us and said that we were geeks. Knowing that he's in a progression raiding guild in World of WarCraft (basically that means he plays WoW a lot), I mentioned that he was a geek too. While he conceded that he was a geek, he said that board games were geekier. So, we came up with a list of things that were also quite geeky, and he ranked them in order of geekiness. Now this isn't my list, I'd probably reorder things a little bit, but I think that a somewhat-external observer might be a more authoritative perspective (or does it take one to know one?).

I'll start with the least geeky things, and gradually move to more geeky things. Also, I'll try to put a canonical example of what I'm referring to in parenthesis after the list item.

1. Mainstream Board / Card Games (Monopoly / Uno)
   
2. Console Video Games (Super Mario Bros.)
3. Computer Video Games (The Sims)
4. MMOs (World of WarCraft)
5. Obscure Card Games (like Bohnanza, Bang, Citadels...)
6. Obscure Board Games (Settlers of Catan)
7. Figure Board Games (like Heroscape) (with the distinction where the pieces each have different abilities and you have to look up stats, etc. Monopoly has "figures", but they're all the same)
8. Collectible Card Games (Magic: The Gathering)
9. Collectible Figure Games (Warhammer) (with the distinction from Figure Board Games where the pieces are collected by the players)
10. Role-Playing Games (Dungeons and Dragons)
11. Historical Live-Action Combat (SCA / Civil War reenacting)
12. Magical Live-Action Combat (Larp)

He made the distinction that #1 was clearly not geeky, so if the weirdest board game you've played is say Risk, you're not a geek (unless you meet one of the other criteria)

I remember telling this list to my wife, and starting at about number 8, she thought that the list couldn't get any geekier, and kept getting surprised that something even existed that was geekier than the things already mentioned (though she had heard of Dungeons and Dragons, but had forgotten about it), but she generally agreed that each thing was, in fact, geekier than the last.

So where am I?

1. Well, I've got a large board game collection, but few of them are mainstream (I don't even have regular Scrabble, I've got Super Scrabble.)
2. I've got a lot of console video games, and I have all current console systems, including handhelds (except I don't have a DSi yet, and I don't have an iPhone, but is the iPhone a gaming console?)
3. I've got a lot of computer games, and I enjoy playing them.
4. I currently have an active subscription to 2 MMOs (WoW and EVE Online), and I've played a few other pay to play MMOs in the past (MxO and FF:XI quickly come to mind), as well as a few free to play MMOs (Ikariam, Walraven)
5. I've got a lot of these games, and I even run a small side business selling them.
6. Ditto
7. I've played a few of these games, but never really got into it.
8. Yeah, I've played Magic: The Gathering, even in tournaments. I've played a little Pokemon, and probably 20ish other CCGs. I remember the birth of CCGs, it was a cool age. the patent lawsuits. But where I really "shine" on this one is the Star Trek:Customizable Card game. I was a serious collector of the game, and serious player. I've won several state-wide tournaments, and took ninth regionally (the Vulcan Region, ca. 1999). So not only have I played CCGs a lot, but probably one of the geekiest CCGs out there, I played a lot. This is really where I associate my geek level on the list.
9. I see figure collectors a step above. Mostly because it was more expensive. Back in high school, I really wished I could afford playing these games well, because I like the tactics. Maybe I'll get into them, I don't know.
10. I've played a few RPGs, including Dungeons and Dragons, and I've even written a few. It's something I do occasionally socially.
11. I've done a little of this, and it's fun, but it's just not my cup of tea. I could learn fencing, or some medieval weapon skill, but I don't really see the value.
12. This, this is too geeky for me. Remember what I said about the value of #11? This has got to be a lot lower. This is not a skill I'd need ever. Sure, there's some value to playing, but it's the same value (if that much) as RPGs, I'd much rather be playing the same scenario in D&D.